compare your pay - uk average 35k

compare your pay - uk average 35k

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Racehorse

Original Poster:

217 posts

17 months

Saturday 4th November 2023
quotequote all
Interesting table showing avg wages in article. 35K avg wage in - rather low?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-67308318

WonkeyDonkey

2,419 posts

110 months

Saturday 4th November 2023
quotequote all
Racehorse said:
Interesting table showing avg wages in article. 35K avg wage in - rather low?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-67308318
Outside of London, no.

Racehorse

Original Poster:

217 posts

17 months

Saturday 4th November 2023
quotequote all
WonkeyDonkey said:
Outside of London, no.
35k is peanuts in current living

Stick Legs

5,916 posts

172 months

Saturday 4th November 2023
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That’s sobering.

Hopefully this doesn’t turn into a dick swinging contest where PBDs chirp in how much they earn…

E63eeeeee...

4,553 posts

56 months

Saturday 4th November 2023
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Well, I guess it's been a few weeks since we did this one.

To summarise, the median salary in the UK is lower than most people, and 90% of PHers think it is. Some people struggle to live on £100k a year even though it puts them in the top 5% of incomes. That still doesn't stop it being a very good income.

Did I miss anything? Can we talk about something else?

WonkeyDonkey

2,419 posts

110 months

Saturday 4th November 2023
quotequote all
Racehorse said:
35k is peanuts in current living
Depends where you live. I'm on a fraction more than that and getting on fine. Taken my 5 year old son on 3 foreign holidays this year even after my mortgage interest rate increased.

Down south it would be a struggle.

E63eeeeee...

4,553 posts

56 months

Saturday 4th November 2023
quotequote all
I did just learn not only that there are still travel agents, but that they've had a massive pay rise. I thought everyone just booked holidays online now.

abzmike

9,290 posts

113 months

Saturday 4th November 2023
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Racehorse said:
35k is peanuts in current living
Depends on a lot of factors.
Depends your definition of ‘current living’.
But perhaps this report provides perspective on how hard life is for many.

flatlandsman

764 posts

14 months

Saturday 4th November 2023
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That is more than I earn, and I manage to have a reasonable life. A lot of people earn a lot of money and are far more miserable, far more in debt and have no idea how to look after their money

Japveesix

4,529 posts

175 months

Saturday 4th November 2023
quotequote all
Racehorse said:
WonkeyDonkey said:
Outside of London, no.
35k is peanuts in current living
I know, I genuinely can't understand how anyone manages to send their three kids to private school and live in a 5 bed detached in Surrey with two Mercs on the drive and a holiday home in Spain on that money. Surely it's not possible?

Silvanus

6,040 posts

30 months

Saturday 4th November 2023
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I had a total career change a few years ago, got sick of working on London doing stupid hours. I now have 2 jobs, main job is £29k and I have a second job (self employed) that earns me £4k. I also do a fair bit of unpaid/volunteer work. I live in the south east so it's very tight at the moment. Happier than ever now though as I love my work. Although I could do with upping the hours on my second job otherwise there won't be any holidays, new cars or treats for quite a while.

jonsp

946 posts

163 months

Saturday 4th November 2023
quotequote all
E63eeeeee... said:
I did just learn not only that there are still travel agents, but that they've had a massive pay rise. I thought everyone just booked holidays online now.
Presumably there are fewer travel agents in the business - as you say most people book online. That must have put a lot of travel agents out of work/looking for another career.

The travel agents that remain are really good, they're somehow able to add additional value = higher pay. Fewer travel agents earning more money = higher average salary.

That doesn't necessarily being a travel agent is a good career path!

Olivera

7,671 posts

246 months

Saturday 4th November 2023
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Stick Legs said:
Hopefully this doesn’t turn into a dick swinging contest where PBDs chirp in how much they earn…
Not sure what the fuss is, 35k per month is about the PBD average.

andrewh

467 posts

266 months

Sunday 5th November 2023
quotequote all
WonkeyDonkey said:
Outside of London, no.
Have a listen to the Dave Ramsey show on Apple podcast, early 30’s Americans with houses paid off, income growth of 30% in a few years despite a pandemic and these are people asking for financial advice, goodness knows how the top 20% are living. Every example he deals with seems to have an income of over $120k household.

We are falling behind in terms of what our incomes buy, particularly in terms of vehicles (price of a new prestige suv is way out of reach for most households in the uk) and travel abroad.

£35k is more like £22k after taxes and travel to work costs are taken out.

Edited by andrewh on Sunday 5th November 03:33


Edited by andrewh on Sunday 5th November 03:35


Edited by andrewh on Sunday 5th November 04:12

WonkeyDonkey

2,419 posts

110 months

Sunday 5th November 2023
quotequote all
andrewh said:
Have a listen to the Dave Ramsey show on Apple podcast, early 30’s Americans with houses paid off, income growth of 30% in a few years despite a pandemic and these are people asking for financial advice, goodness knows how the top 20% are living. Every example he deals with seems to have an income of over $120k household.

We are falling behind in terms of what our incomes buy, particularly in terms of vehicles (price of a new prestige suv is way out of reach for most households in the uk) and travel abroad.

£35k is more like £22k after taxes and travel to work costs are taken out.

Edited by andrewh on Sunday 5th November 03:33


Edited by andrewh on Sunday 5th November 03:35


Edited by andrewh on Sunday 5th November 04:12
If a 'prestige' suv was easily available to average earner would it still be 'prestige'?

Isn't it bit like how in the 80s if you drove a BMW or Mercedes you were obviously doing well but now it just means you can afford a £250pm pcp payment.

GT03ROB

13,569 posts

228 months

Sunday 5th November 2023
quotequote all
andrewh said:
We are falling behind in terms of what our incomes buy, particularly in terms of vehicles (price of a new prestige suv is way out of reach for most households in the uk) and travel abroad.

£35k is more like £22k after taxes and travel to work costs are taken out.

Edited by andrewh on Sunday 5th November 03:33


Edited by andrewh on Sunday 5th November 03:35


Edited by andrewh on Sunday 5th November 04:12
The idea of many households having a prestige SUV in reach is a joke. It is only something that has happened with the historically very low interest rates of the last 15 years. Before that it was never possible.

We are seeing a return to the historic norms. There’s a lot of people that need to wake up to the fact we are returning to norm, not deviating from it.

E63eeeeee...

4,553 posts

56 months

Sunday 5th November 2023
quotequote all
jonsp said:
E63eeeeee... said:
I did just learn not only that there are still travel agents, but that they've had a massive pay rise. I thought everyone just booked holidays online now.
Presumably there are fewer travel agents in the business - as you say most people book online. That must have put a lot of travel agents out of work/looking for another career.

The travel agents that remain are really good, they're somehow able to add additional value = higher pay. Fewer travel agents earning more money = higher average salary.

That doesn't necessarily being a travel agent is a good career path!
Yeah, that's a fair point. Presumably all the mid-market ones who were competing on margin have gone to work in Tesco's, and what's left is either fleecing non-savvy pensioners, or polishing the egos of people too rich to book their own.

Zarco

18,490 posts

216 months

Sunday 5th November 2023
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Man, I should have been a train driver.

RayDonovan

4,960 posts

222 months

Sunday 5th November 2023
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My Sister still uses a travel agent for some reason.

She assumes it's about prestige of having a skivvy doing your Google searches, I just think she's a Muppet.

xx99xx

2,250 posts

80 months

Sunday 5th November 2023
quotequote all
E63eeeeee... said:
Yeah, that's a fair point. Presumably all the mid-market ones who were competing on margin have gone to work in Tesco's, and what's left is either fleecing non-savvy pensioners, or polishing the egos of people too rich to book their own.
O/t, but.....

I use an independent travel agent. They have a shop but I don't go in it as it's 100 miles away. They don't put their holidays on their website, they mostly use Facebook as deals and prices change too much.

Usually I'll search online, send them a link to what I've found and they'll usually beat the price and request better hotel rooms. The staff have been to a lot of places so they offer personal recommendations. They check in online for you and email you the tickets.

They had a tough time during COVID as they couldn't furlough the staff as they had to work full time processing tons of cancellations and refunds whilst not bringing in any money in new sales.

They're doing pretty well again now so there is clearly still a place for the traditional travel agency.